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Road safety campaign in memory of
6 year old Bobby reaches 50,000 School pupils
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AROUND 50,000 School pupils across
Liverpool and beyond have benefited from a free road safety assembly in memory
of a little boy who was killed while crossing the road. It's estimated that
thousands more children will continue to be educated on safer road crossing
throughout 2018 as Liverpool author and storyteller Jude Lennon prepares to
visit more Schools with her road safety books, as part of the:- 'Bobby Colleran
Campaign.'
Miss Lennon, a former School Teacher, was commissioned to write new road safety
book:- 'Superbob' in memory of Schoolboy Bobby Colleran, who was killed on
Leyfield Road, in West Derby, in October 2014. The colourful book was officially
launched at Bobby's School Blackmoor Park
Infants in September 2016. However, since then, author and storyteller Miss
Lennon has rolled it out to a further 192 Schools in Liverpool and the wider
Merseyside area. A 2nd road safety book written by Miss Lennon called:- 'S.T.O.P (Superbob
Tells Off Parents),' which was published earlier this year, has also made
its way into a further 52 Schools.
Speaking about the campaign in the run up to Road Safety Week, running over 20 November
to 26 November 2017, Miss
Lennon said:- "This has been an extremely successful campaign so far with
almost 50,000 pupils benefiting from a road safety assembly which I deliver when
visiting Schools to talk about the books.
Both books feature the heroic 'Super Bob' who wears a cowboy hat and red cape
and shares his advice with children and adults who are putting themselves and
others in danger. Children really relate to the character
and as a result of this, I'm confident they also pick up on the key messages
about road safety. Our hope is they take these messages, process them and put
them into practice by being more aware of the dangers when they are crossing
roads.
With Road Safety Week coming up later this month it's a great opportunity for
parents and teachers alike to reiterate these messages with children and having
these books available in Schools will, of course, be hugely beneficial."
Miss Lennon was commissioned by the Bobby Colleran Trust, which was set up by
Bobby's family following his death. The trust campaigns for road safety
improvements and since launched in 2015 has campaigned tirelessly for safer
roads outside all Schools. In 2016, the trust teamed up with Radio City to
implement:- 'Bobby Zones'
outside all Liverpool Primary Schools. This has been hugely successful and now
the trust is aiming to get the same zones outside Schools across the UK.
Both Superbob books have been illustrated by Alan Jones and Bobby's brothers
helped Miss Lennon with the character ideas and content for the story. They
suggested using Bobby' favourite catchphrase:- "I'm fuming" which is an
integral part of both stories.
When visiting Schools Miss Lennon reads from the book and encourages children to
think about their own safety when near roads. The key message of the campaign is
that road safety is for 'everyone' and children and adults alike
need to do their bit to keep 'everyone' safe.
All Schools participating in the 'Superbob' campaign assemblies receive a
free copy of the book for the School library. Additional book sales and
donations go straight back to The Bobby Colleran Trust to pay for the assemblies
and educational resources for Schools.
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